The most beautiful corner of a fabulous island

Cwyfan – the church in the sea

St Cwyfan’s church stands on a little islet and is cut off when the tide is high. The church’s origins go back to the 12th or 13th Century: at which time it was on the mainland of Anglesey. Erosion separated the church from the mainland and a protective wall was built around it to stop it being washed away completely.

The steps up to the church’s island

The church is still used for occasional services (dependent on the state and time of the tides) and also for weddings and christenings.

You can walk to the church from either Aberffraw or Cable Bay (Porth Trecastell) by following the Anglesey coastal path. It is about two miles from either, but neither path is particularly easy going.

The path following the coast from Cable Bay / Porth Trecastell

From Cable Bay, the path follows the coast before turning inland to avoid the Anglesey Circuit which is on the headland adjacent to Cwyfan – a circuit used mainly for car and motorbike racing: an incongruous neighbour for the church. If you like motorsports, that can be an asset (although you only catch fleeting glimpses of the track); if you don’t you might prefer to approach from the Aberffraw side, although you’ll still hear the track if an event is taking place.

Incidentally, Cable Bay is so called because a telegraph cable was run from there to Howth, Ireland, in 1861; its original (or earlier) name is Porth Trecastell, after the neighbouring farm.

For more on the history of the church, visit Coflein – the site of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales. For more information about services at Cwyfan, contact Rev. Madalaine Brady – 01407 810412.